Baby, it's Cold Outside
by Constance1
Summary: Draco owns a "house of ill repute" where all your fantasies can be played out - for a price. He never takes part in the joys of his own business until one night just before Christmas when Harry Potter shows up, asking for something wholly unexpected. Part 1 of 2. Tags: light bondage, smut, angst, fluff, happy ending & some serious moral ambiguity.
1. Part 1

"Alright Pans, what do we have tonight?" Draco asked as he breezed in through the office door and plucked the clipboard right out of her perfectly manicured hands.

Pansy narrowed her eyes at her friend as he ran a finger down the list of tonight's guests. "Why are you here Draco?"

"I do own the place," he replied dryly, eyes on the extensive list in front of him.

Pansy leaned forwards on the desk with a frown, black stiletto tapping out an irritated rhythm on the floor. "But you never _…"_ Her expression suddenly cleared and her eyes gleamed wickedly. "Oh I know what prompted this _spontaneous_ visit."

"I sincerely doubt that," Draco said distractedly, grey eyes pausing on a particular line before finally flicking up to meet Pansy's teasing gaze.

Pansy stood and came around the wide desk to perch on the edge next to him, a smug smile on her dark red lips. "You're here because Seamus Finnegan booked a group of nine for his birthday tonight - and you're hoping Potter will be one of them."

Draco's lips quirked into a smirk as he tossed the clipboard back onto the desk next to her. "Well it is the festive season and I do deserve a little Christmas cheer after all. Seeing Potter's tiny knob will be the gift that keeps on giving."

Pansy snorted as she plucked nonexistent lint from her black pencil skirt. "You keep telling yourself that darling, but _I_ know the truth." She looked up at him with a shrewd gaze. "I saw the way you were looking at him at the Christmas Charity Ball last month; like you wanted to rip off his clothes and devour him whole."

Draco held her gaze as he crossed his arms over his chest, smirk still firmly in place. "And what would a paragon of virtue such as yourself know about such things?"

Pansy laughed and nudged his thigh with her foot. "Don't be coy Draco, it doesn't become you. I'm assuming that you will be hovering in this office for the remainder of the evening then?"

Draco pushed the clipboard aside and took a seat next to her on the sturdy desk; his indifferent expression falling away with a sigh. "Yes, as much as it pains me to admit, I shall most likely drink myself senseless while watching Potter get off with some pretty little witch."

Pansy smiled, eyes still sparkling mischievously. "Oh I don't know about that, he looked just as interested in devouring you at the ball as you did him."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Please, Potter is as straight as they come. He was even engaged to the Weasley girl."

"But called it off," Pansy countered instantly, "and never explained why."

Draco shot her an unconvinced look. He stood and straightened his dark blue button-up shirt as he turned to survey the multitude of screens lining the wall behind the desk. Each screen represented an individual camera set up in every room in Amortentia. The cameras were there for the security of its staff as well as its clientele, with only Pansy and Draco having access to the main office.

"Is Bonnie working tonight?" he asked, ignoring her last comment. Even if Potter _had_ been staring at him at the Ministry Ball, it wouldn't have been for anything good; he was probably still suspicious of Draco from their school days, maybe even more so now that he was an Auror. Draco, on the other hand, had been secretly lusting after Harry for quite some time.

Pansy stood up and returned to her chair, letting him avoid the discussion for now. "Yes she is. Why?"

"Because I bet you five galleons predictable Potter requests a ginger."

 **H H H H**

Harry allowed himself to be propelled along the snow-dusted cobblestones of Knockturn Alley, wishing that he'd had a few more drinks at the Leaky before heading for Amortentia with the rest of the group. He'd been dreading the visit ever since Seamus had told him what he had planned for his big birthday celebration. Seamus had suggested to Harry that he use some sort of glamour spell to disguise who he was, but Harry knew that wasn't what was bothering him. He just wasn't very excited about having some strange girl do… _things_ to him.

Amortentia was supposed to be a place where all your fantasies came to life and Harry was, quite frankly, completely unenthusiastic about the prospect. Ever since things began to go downhill with Ginny after the final battle, a tiny part of him had been questioning if it wasn't just Ginny but girls in general that he wasn't attracted to.

Then came the Ministry Ball…

Harry swallowed and tried to think of something else as they approached the black brick building with the red door, but the image that always accompanied the memory of that night was one of Malfoy looking mouth-wateringly gorgeous in his black, form-fitting Muggle suit. Long lean legs, shining blond hair combed perfectly into place, and full lips quirking into tiny smirks or smiles throughout the evening, depending on who he was speaking to…

Harry gave his head a shake; it wouldn't do him any good to be thinking of such things before walking into Amortentia. He didn't want to embarrass himself; what if he couldn't get hard for the girl? What if she ran to The Prophet with the story that Harry Potter had erectile dysfunction?

Perhaps if he requested a girl with blonde hair it could help things along a little.

Harry stifled a groan at resorting to imagining Malfoy to get off these days.

Ron threw an arm around his shoulders as they walked through the door, the rest of the group laughing and talking with anticipatory excitement.

Harry could feel the exceptionally strong wards as they walked through the entrance. It would only admit customers who had been added to the official guest list. Harry had been relieved to hear that Amortentia staggered their appointment times so that customers would not all be sitting in the waiting room at the same time. There was a clever level of anonymity to the operation that Harry appreciated.

The waiting room was simple but luxurious; all the furnishings were tasteful and looked quite expensive. It wasn't quite the dodgy establishment that Harry had been expecting.

"Good evening gentlemen, welcome to Amortentia," the striking dark-haired girl greeted from behind the desk. "My name is Scarlett. Which one of you is Mr. Finnegan?"

Seamus grinned and George clapped him on the back as he took a step forward. "That's me."

"Happy birthday Mr. Finnegan," she replied with a gleaming white smile. "I need to have your entire party fill out some forms before your individual appointments. Have any of you visited Amortentia previously?" She turned to glance around the group, smiling pleasantly.

Harry shook his head along with the rest of the group, except for Will, one of the other Auror trainees who hadn't attended Hogwarts with the rest of them. He was currently nodding his head with an eager smile.

"Alright, here is your form and you may begin filling it out," she said, passing Will a black clipboard along with an elegant black and purple feather quill. "For the rest of you, I will give you a quick introduction to Amortentia."

Harry swallowed nervously as she began passing out clipboards and quills, her eyes straying to his forehead a moment as she handed his clipboard over.

"While we at Amortentia endeavour to fulfil your every wish and fantasy, we do have rules in place for the safety of our staff as well as a few legal rules that we must abide by," she continued proficiently, as though she'd spoken these lines a hundred times before. Which she obviously had. "You cannot touch a staff member anywhere below the waist without their explicit consent, if this is a request you would like to make, please mark it on the form. There is to be no kissing and that is non-negotiable. Our staff can and will touch you anywhere you wish, but again, if you have an issue with them touching you in a particular area then please mark it down."

Harry gulped and glanced down at the form. There were a lot of questions and blank spaces on it; he hadn't known there were so many rules to achieving sexual gratification. His experiences were quite limited compared to the bounty of delights listed on the piece of parchment before him.

"There is to be no penetration except with toys or other inanimate objects," she said smoothly, finishing with handing out the clipboards and standing back with her hands folded neatly in front of her black sheath dress. "There are a multitude of toys and items in every room, as well as every costume you could possibly conceive of. As you can see on the form, you are able to request male or female companions for the night - or one of each if that is your desire. You may also specify hair colour, race, height, weight, etc… We are limited with our choices but will try to accommodate your physical feature requests as much as possible. You can also request a particular staff member by name, but again, that is subject to availability. Any questions?"

Harry felt distinctly red in the face by the end of her speech and quickly shook his head.

"Excellent, take a seat and if you have any questions please let me know."

The girl retreated to her post behind the glass desk as Harry walked over to the nearest leather armchair and sat down, clipboard balanced on his knees and black and turquoise quill at the ready. He glanced at the others and saw that they were already scribbling furiously; fervent smiles on their flushed faces.

He took in the scrawled heading at the top of the rather long page that read 'For Male Guests' then quickly looked at the first question: **Would you prefer: 1. Male Companion 2. Female companion 3. Both**

Harry felt his heart pound in his chest and his hands went clammy. He knew deep down which of those choices excited him and made him squirm in his seat, but could he actually choose a _male_ companion? Then everyone would know, and not even Ron knew of the slowly dawning realisation of his sexual preference. What if the male companion greeted him in the waiting room in front of everyone?! The thought was utterly horrifying.

He quickly circled _female_ and went on to the next question.

 **Would you like to finish by ejaculating into your companion's mouth?**

Harry's eyes widened; that didn't sound so bad, even if it was with a girl. _Yes_.

 **Would you like to be anally penetrated by a dildo? This treatment will include finger stretching and proper lubrication unless otherwise stated under your special requests section.**

Harry felt his mouth go dry and his trousers tighten uncomfortably at the thought. _Yes_.

 **Would you like to include a hand-job?** _Yes._

 **Would you like your nipples kissed/sucked/played with?** _Yes_.

 **Would you like your testicles kissed/sucked/played with?** _Yes._

 **Would you like a rim-job?** _Yes._

 **Would you like to be tied up?** _Yes._

Harry was beginning to think that he was some kind of sexual deviant as he continued to answer yes to almost every question in the list. He'd never done any of this stuff before; his sex life with Ginny had been rather vanilla and conceived of a couple of brief hand-jobs and one rather awkward blow-job.

 **Would you like to be blindfolded?**

Harry's eyes lit up at the next question. If he couldn't see who it was then he could quite easily imagine that it was some fit, handsome bloke doing all these things to him…

 _Yes._

Harry continued answering questions and then finished his form with a flourish before finally looking up; having completely forgotten that he wasn't alone. The others had already completed their forms and were staring at Scarlett expectantly.

Harry laid his clipboard and quill down on his knees and sat up straighter.

"You first Mr. Finnegan," Scarlett smiled once she noticed that Harry was done.

"Hope I don't finish to quick," Seamus smirked at the rest of them as he stood and handed over his clipboard and quill at the desk.

"Wouldn't mind sharing a bed with the hostess," George murmured out the side of his mouth at Ron, eyes on Scarlett as she spoke quietly with Seamus.

Harry quickly nodded with a grin when Ron glanced his way, playing along.

They all watched as Seamus handed over his wand to Scarlett before he was escorted out of the waiting room via a black door in the far wall.

Harry wiped sweaty palms on his jeans as he watched Scarlett call each of them up in turn, awaiting his turn with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. Soon Harry found himself alone in the waiting room as Scarlett escorted Ron out the back door.

A sudden and mad idea popped into his head and he looked down at his form. He could change 'female' to 'male' now and no one would be the wiser! Nobody had asked what he'd put on his form; it was as though each of them was too excited and preoccupied to tease each other about their kinky secrets. He knew they would most likely discuss it after the fact, but by then he could easily lie about it.

Harry grabbed up his quill, crushing the delicate feather a little in his haste, and quickly crossed out _female_ and circled _male_ just as Scarlett returned through the back door.

Harry smiled nervously as he approached her. She would be the only one to know what he had chosen, besides his companion of course. He hoped she would be discreet.

"Good evening Mr. Potter," she said softly. "We are so pleased that you've chosen Amortentia."

Harry forced a wobbly smile as she perused his form. He waited for a widening of eyes or a raised brow or even a gasp of horror but her pleasant, tranquil expression never faltered.

She finally looked up. "I think you'll have a good time tonight Mr. Potter. And please let me assure you that all records are held in the strictest of confidence."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and his smile turned genuine as he handed over his wand. Scarlet really did appear sincere. He didn't know if it was all an act or not but she was bloody good at it if it was.

Harry nearly stumbled over his own feet in his haste to follow her out the mysterious black door. 

**D D D D  
**

Draco opened the office door almost instantly upon hearing the gentle knock.

"Mr. Malfoy," Scarlett greeted him with a smile. "Here's the form you requested."

"Thank you." Draco flashed a brief smile and took the clipboard back into the office with him and shut the door.

"Ooo let me see!" Pansy nearly squealed, glittering eyes landing on the innocuous clipboard in Draco's hands as she came round the desk and peered over his shoulder. "I want to know what sick things Potter gets off on."

Draco rolled his eyes at her before looking down at the wrinkled piece of parchment. His lips parted in shock as he took in the scribbled out 'female' selection and took in the boldly circled 'male.'

" _Holy fuck_ …" Draco breathed in disbelief, grey eyes flicking upwards to double-check that this was indeed Potter's form before running his gaze down the long list of answers; most of them surprising the absolute fuck out of him - as well as making his cock twitch with interest in his pants.

"I knew it!" Pansy crowed, bouncing up and down in her stilettos. "Oh Merlin, he even specified _blond_ under special requests! He's going to be picturing you the entire time Draco, maybe he'll even call out your name! Who are you going to get for him? I think it should be Tom. Gods I wish I could go to the Prophet with this - I would be rich! Well, rich _er_."

Draco absently chewed his thumbnail as he frowned down at the page without really seeing it.

Pansy arched a brow at his silence. "What is it?"

Draco lowered the clipboard and looked at her, a strange expression on his handsome, angular face.

" _What_?" she repeated impatiently.

Grey eyes gleamed as a slow smirk spread across Draco's face. "Nowhere does it say that the owner can't participate."

Pansy's eyes widened so much that they looked ready to pop right out of her head. " _What_?" she shrieked. " _You're_ going to be Potter's companion? But… he'll refuse as soon as you walk in the door."

Draco shook his head. "He asked to be blindfolded."

"He might peek."

"I'll send Scarlett in to do a blindness charm."

Pansy pressed her lips together, clearly trying to anticipate anything else that could go wrong. "He might recognise your voice."

"I haven't spoken to him in years, and I could alter my voice slightly."

Pansy slowly relaxed and began to smile. "You know what? I think this idea has merit."

Draco snorted and walked over to gaze at the wall of screens, Pansy coming to stand beside him as they both looked to Room Seven. They could see Potter inside, standing in the middle of the room with his arms wrapped around himself self-consciously. He was looking around the space with interest but appeared too frozen with nerves to actually touch anything.

Draco's smirk softened into a smile as he watched. He knew he was fucked when his heart melted a little at the sight of Potter looking so adorably uncomfortable.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Pansy asked, eyeing him, her voice laced with genuine concern. "All jokes aside, I know you want more from the Chosen One than a one-sided hand-job."

Draco continued to stare at the screen. "I'll take what I can get," he finally replied evenly.

"Why don't you just ask him out?"

Draco tore his gaze away from the screen to look at her with an arched brow. "Before or after I wank him?"

"Well, if you want the answer to be yes, then perhaps before," she smirked. "He might not take too kindly to being tricked."

Draco shook his head and turned back to the screen with a sigh. "No, I don't think Potter is quite ready to come out to the world yet - if ever - and he sure as hell wouldn't choose an ex Death Eater as his first official lover."

"So you're just going to shag and run? And then live off of that memory for the rest of your life?"

"Don't be so dramatic Pans; I'm not in _love_ with the man."

"I think you are," she replied, quietly obstinate. "And you're just as thick as he is about it."

Draco watched Potter for one more moment then turned and made his way over to the door. "I'm going to freshen up, would you please ask Scarlett to perform the blindness charm for Room Seven?"

"Oh alright," she said with a sigh, moving to the desk to press the bell for their hostess.

"And Pans?"

"Yes?" She paused, glancing up.

"I will be shutting off the camera to Room Seven for the evening," he imparted with a smirk before shutting the door behind him.

Pansy cursed before pushing the shining silver bell. 

**H H H H**

Harry eyed the lush king-sized bed with wide, petrified eyes. Now that he was actually here, about to be with a man for the first time, he was absolutely terrified. Would the man care that he was a virgin? Would he know? What if Harry was too embarrassed to get an erection? What if he didn't _like_ having something shoved in his arse?

Just as his rapid breathing was about to get out of control, the door opened and the hostess, Scarlett, walked in, holding a wand.

"Mr. Potter, no need to be alarmed," she said calmly as Harry took a step back in confusion. "You have requested the blindfolding charm and I am here to administer it and get you settled before your companion arrives."

"Oh. Right." Harry uncrossed his arms from where they had been wrapped tightly around his chest and waited.

Scarlett smiled sweetly at him. "Please climb up onto the bed and lie down."

"Er, do I... leave my clothes on?" Harry asked, feeling foolish.

"It's up to you," she replied, stepping over to stand beside the bed. "You can strip yourself now or have your companion do it." She leaned forward with a conspiratorial smile. "I suggest letting your companion do it."

Harry smiled, relaxing a little at her calm, pleasant manner. "Yeah, I... I'd like that."

Harry toed off his grubby trainers and pulled off his socks before climbing up onto the large bed. He shuffled over and lay down, his head resting on the soft silken pillow. The linens smelt of vanilla and lavender.

"Now close your eyes and relax, this won't hurt," Scarlett instructed, raising her wand.

Harry closed his eyes. He had to wonder at the implicit trust that he was putting into the people here at Amortentia; giving them his wand and agreeing to be tied up and blinded by strangers. Or perhaps he was just that depraved that he was willing to do anything.

He heard a very quiet incantation and felt a cooling sensation flow softly over his eyelids. Then it was over.

Another softly uttered spell and Harry's wrists were gently encircled with thick rope and then pulled upwards as the other ends knotted through the sturdy metal rings attached to the bed frame. Harry tugged on them experimentally and they held fast. He opened his eyes and saw only inky blackness. He couldn't stop his breath from catching in his throat with alarm, even though he knew what he had agreed to.

"Everything is alright Mr. Potter," Scarlett spoke soothingly from above him. "I have performed the spell and it shall last until your companion ends it at the conclusion of your session."

Harry swallowed and nodded, attempting to rein in his panic as she gently removed his glasses.

"Your companion's name is Derek and he shall be here shortly. Do you need anything else before I leave Mr. Potter?"

Harry shook his head, he just wanted to get started and forget about the fact that his eyes were wide open but he couldn't _see_ anything. It did the trick of taking his mind off his impending appointment though. That is, it did until he heard the click of the door opening a few minutes later…

 **D D D D**

Draco slowly opened the heavy door and walked inside, a nervous sort of trepidation filling his body. A part of him was absurdly concerned that the blindness charm hadn't actually taken and that Potter would see him clear as day as he walked into the room.

Draco softly closed the door behind him and walked over to the bed with a confidence he didn't actually feel. He looked down at Harry and had to swallow; the Gryffindor was laid out on the bed, waiting, wrists bound to the bedframe. The fact that he was still fully clothed only added to the anticipation.

Harry turned his head towards him and Draco was relieved to see that the wide eyes were staring unseeing past his left shoulder. Harry's glasses had been set on the bedside table and his unobstructed eyes had never looked quite so green before.

Draco licked his lips and slowly ran his gaze over Harry's body, never having had the liberty to do so before.

"H-hello?"

Draco blinked and realised that he'd been silent for an uncomfortable length of time. "Good evening Mr. Potter," he replied smoothly, pitching his voice slightly lower than normal. "Are you comfortable?"

Harry blinked, looking relieved that someone had spoken. "Erm, yeah… yes, I'm… good. Are you Derek?"

Draco smiled, relaxing into his role. For the first time he was having his own fantasy played out at Amortentia and he was going to enjoy it. He walked closer to the bed. "Yes Mr. Potter - would you like for me to call you Harry? Or perhaps, another name?" he asked, smirking to himself.

"Harry's fine."

"May I remove your clothes now Harry?"

Draco heard Harry's breath catch in his throat before he nodded, his dark hair splaying out on the white pillow beneath his head.

Draco smiled at the flush staining Harry's cheeks as he stepped up to the bed. He was going to make this good for Potter, regardless of the fact that he would never know that it had been Draco. He wondered how far Potter had gone with another bloke before as he reached down and, with a feather-light touch, trailed his fingers from Harry's bare foot up over his jeans, pressing a little more firmly over the fabric as he ran his hand over Potter's shin then thigh, and then over his waistband to the black button-up shirt.

He ran one finger over the row of buttons all the way to Harry's exposed throat, then lightly dragged his fingers up the side of Harry's neck and into his thick hair, combing through the thick strands for a moment before finally removing his hand altogether.

Harry had closed his eyes somewhere along the way, even though he couldn't see, the contact clearly overwhelming his senses. Draco could see that Harry's breathing had sped up, chest expanding and contracting rather rapidly as his body gave tiny twitches at Draco's invisible touch.

Draco moved his hands to Harry's shirt and began to slowly unbutton each one from the top down. He glanced up at Harry's face and inhaled sharply at the sight of Harry arching his head back a little, teeth biting into his bottom lip and eyes clenched shut.

 _Fuck, if Potter is like this just from me unbuttoning his top, what is he going to be like when I have my fingers up his arse?_

Draco shook off the image and looked away from Harry's expression as he finally unfastened the last button. He took a breath and slowly placed his pale hands on Harry's torso, sliding his fingers underneath the opened shirt and pushing it outwards, exposing Harry's toned chest and peaked nipples.

Harry gasped quietly, his entire upper body now arching into the slide of warm hands on his skin, hands clenching into fists as he lightly pulled at the restraints.

Draco licked his lips and glanced up at Harry's face once more. "Harry, may I run my mouth and tongue over you?"

" _Yes_..." Harry breathed, arching up as though he could already feel it.

Draco climbed onto the bed, straddling Harry's body on his hands and knees but not touching him. He flicked his blond hair out of his eyes before lowering his head and placing a soft kiss to Harry's fluttering stomach.

Harry choked off a noise of surprised pleasure and suddenly stilled, as though not wanting to miss a single thing.

Draco smiled against his warm skin then began to place a trail of soft kisses down around his bellybutton then back up over his ribs towards one tempting pink nipple that was already hardened into a small nub. Draco stopped and licked a stripe over Harry's nipple, causing the Gryffindor to gasp and turn his head to the side, teeth biting into the silk pillowcase.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous…" Draco breathed, unable to hold it in. "And so responsive," he added, moving to Harry's left nipple and sucking it into his mouth.

Harry moaned under his breath, hips rising up and nearly coming into contact with Draco's body as he writhed under the sensation.

Draco licked and lightly sucked his way back down Harry's chest and stomach, inhaling his scent as he went and committing it to memory. Harry smelt fresh, like a crisp spring breeze, and of grass, and something warm and familiar. Whatever it was, it was amazing.

"Have you done this before Harry?" Draco whispered as his mouth neared the waistband of Harry's jeans. He was truly enjoying calling Potter by his given name; it felt so liberating and intimate.

Harry swallowed. "N-no, not like this."

"Mmm..." Draco hummed against his skin. He moved his mouth down over the single button and then pressed his mouth to the hardness he could feel straining against the zip beneath his lips. The feel of Harry's cloth-covered erection against his mouth made Draco's own cock fill and throb within the confines of his black trousers.

Harry made a strangled noise as he arched up into the contact.

"Have you been with a man before?" Draco murmured as he firmly mouthed Harry's shaft through his jeans.

Harry moaned and squirmed, tendons standing out on his forearms as he strained against the ropes. " _No_..." he replied breathlessly.

Draco moaned against Harry's erection, hoping the vibrations would permeate the fabric. "I'll make it good for you Harry, I promise," he said sincerely. "You make me so hard," he uttered absently as he slid his fingers across Harry's hips to unbutton his jeans.

Harry emitted a breathless laugh as he squirmed with anticipation. "You must say that to all your customers."

Draco frowned, not wanting Harry to think his companion wasn't fully invested in this or that he wasn't turned on by him. He moved upwards and lowered his hips so that his own erection pushed against Harry's hip.

"Feel that? That's what you're doing to me Harry."

Harry gasped, clearly surprised, and then bit his lip as Draco thrust his cock against his hip once more before leaving off and returning to the open fly of Harry's jeans.

Draco smiled with satisfaction at Harry's pleased expression before wrapping his fingers around the waistband of Harry's jeans. He knelt up and pulled them all the way down and off in one smooth motion. Draco's gaze took in the prominent tenting of Harry's pants and he had to swallow his moan at the sight. He shifted over and slowly slid his palms up the inside of Harry's thighs, then up and around to the elastic waistband on his pants, skirting his cock. He slid his fingers just under the elastic then glanced up at Harry's face, pausing.

"Ready?"

"Yes. _Please_."

Draco smirked, incredibly turned on by Potter's pleading. He would be so cross to find out that it was Draco Malfoy he was begging. He grasped Harry's pants in his hands and carefully pulled them down and over his engorged prick. Draco's mouth watered at the sight of Harry's flushed cock now lying flat to his abdomen, the head glistening with escaped fluid.

Harry squirmed in his restraints and Draco noted that he looked almost nervous, as though perhaps worrying about what Draco thought of his body.

"Merlin, you're perfect," Draco murmured honestly, grey eyes drinking in the sight of Harry bound to the bed and naked in front of him; it was even better than he ever could have imagined…

 **H H H H**

Harry shivered at Derek's words, spoken with such underlying sincerity and arousal that it made him feel as though it were real; as though it were _all_ real. This place truly was amazing.

Harry startled when those warm, talented lips were pressed to his hipbone in a gentle kiss. He wriggled on the bed, wanting that mouth on his cock so badly that it was nearly painful, his erection heavy and aching - and sorely neglected.

Harry froze as the lips travelled across his skin, away from his hip and inwards towards his groin. He whimpered when a tongue suddenly lapped at his cock, licking up the spilled fluid that he could feel leaking from the slit.

Warm breath blew across his erection before a warm, wet mouth suddenly and decidedly engulfed the head of his prick and sucked.

Harry moaned loudly and nearly arched right off the bed. The mouth pulled off and then Derek's tongue began to firmly lick up the sides of his shaft, over and over again, swirling around the tip and then slowly sliding down before starting all over again.

Harry gasped and moaned and thrust shallowly into that warm perfect mouth.

When it looked like it would all become too much, Derek suddenly stopped.

Harry panted, waiting to see what the man would do next. If he hadn't known before that he was gay, this experiment was certainly confirming it. The press of Derek's hard cock into his hip had been more arousing than anything he'd ever done with Ginny or Cho. He'd never felt so turned on before; he ached and writhed and burned with it.

Hands suddenly slid down his thighs and underneath to push his legs up, bending them at the knees to rest his feet flat on the bed.

Harry bit his lip, feeling horribly exposed, and again hoping that he measured up to whatever standards this Derek bloke was used to.

The barest brush of a fingertip across his arsehole sent an electric shot through Harry's body, stiffening his limbs and making him whimper. It was quickly followed up by a softly uttered curse and then a tongue licking a stripe up his crease and over his sac, drawing the softly wrinkled flesh into a warm mouth and gently sucking.

Harry couldn't seem to stop moaning and writhing, pulling at his restraints, too aroused to be embarrassed by his wanton behaviour.

"Mine."

Harry's breath caught in his throat at the possessive murmur from his companion. "Fuck… _yes_ ," Harry agreed, wanting more, and saying so aloud.

The mouth left off his cock and lowered to begin licking over his entrance, over and over again, pressing firmly against his puckered hole on every pass, lingering over it a little more each time.

Harry nearly cried out when the tongue eventually breached him and wriggled inside, loosening the rim. It was warm and wet and felt fucking fantastic. The tongue eventually retracted and was replaced with a long slim finger.

Harry arched into the intrusion; it felt weird, but good, especially when his cock was grasped in one hand and engulfed into that talented mouth once more, sucking and sliding up and down his shaft as the finger continued to work its magic down below. It was almost too much to handle; too many new sensations and heightened levels of arousal - and yet still somehow not enough too.

" _Yes_..." Harry hissed as a second finger was added, forcing its way in and out, changing angles every few pushes. Fuck, that felt good. The bed frame creaked as he pulled against the ropes with force, wanting so much to touch this man, to wrap his arms around his back or slide his fingers through hair that was a striking pale blond in his mind's eye.

"Hold that thought Harry."

Harry opened his eyes, even though he couldn't see anything other than a thick blanket of darkness. Derek had stopped and the bed shifted as he moved away. Harry could hear the man rifling around in a drawer and then return a moment later, moving back in between Harry's bent up knees.

Harry gasped when the fingers returned to press inside him, this time covered in a slick substance that was instantly warm and seemed to continue to warm and tingle from the inside.

"Mmm..." Harry hummed his approval, wriggling a little at the pleasant sensation.

"This will help keep you nice and loose Harry," the voice murmured above him, sounding a little breathless.

Harry held his breath when the fingers pulled out and then something cool and hard was placed lightly alongside his cock and then slowly dragged down over his twitching shaft, over his perineum, and then down his lube-slicked crease to stop at his loosened hole.

The tip of what must have been a plastic dildo pushed against his entrance, gaining pressure until finally popping through the taut rim and sliding inside a little.

Harry gasped at the full and somewhat uncomfortable feeling. The toy's momentum paused to allow Harry time to adjust. He squirmed a little, trying to get used to the feeling of this foreign object inside of him. It stung a little but the feeling was gradually subsiding.

Once he had stopped wriggling, the dildo was slowly pushed forwards once more. Little by little, the dildo slid inside Harry's body, Derek's free hand soothingly running over his stomach and stroking his cock, which had softened a little by the distraction.

Harry jumped when the toy seemed to strike something deep within him that sent an electric current straight to his cock.

"Welcome to your prostate Potter."

Harry moaned. Derek had sounded just like Malfoy for a moment, even the use of his surname was the same, and it increased his rising arousal exponentially. Merlin, he wished it was the man's hard cock inside of him and not this plastic toy.

"Want you..." Harry moaned, arching up and trying to seek that spark of nerves again. "Want you inside me…"

 **D D D D**

Draco inhaled sharply at Harry's pleading words. He had the Boy-Who-Lived at his mercy, writhing under his ministrations, and yet it wasn't enough. He wanted to be inside Harry too; joined with him in pleasure with his own flesh.

 _Fuck this_ , he thought as he carefully removed the dildo from Harry's arse and tossed it aside onto the sheets.

"Do you really want that Harry?" he asked, needing to make sure that Harry wasn't just uttering nonsense in the heat of the moment.

Harry paused, eyes opening. "Yes, yes I want that. Please."

Draco had to close his eyes briefly, steadying himself before speaking again. "I would like that too," he said, voice trembling a little with the effort.

Harry visibly swallowed and then seemed to be waiting, so Draco rose off of the bed and quickly divested himself of his own clothing, glad that he had had the foresight to have a quick shower before coming to meet Harry.

Once he was completely naked, he moved back onto the bed to kneel over Harry. He stroked his own cock with one hand as he stared down at Harry; the Chosen One's skin flushed and entrance stretched and waiting, glistening in the dim lighting. The temptation to just stroke himself to completion and ejaculate all over Harry's naked chest was strong, but not nearly as strong as the desire to be inside of him.

Draco shuffled closer and gently lifted Harry's legs to his shoulders before lining himself up with Harry's hole. He quickly scooped up some of the dripping lube from Harry's crease and used it to slick his own stiff cock in preparation.

Draco's eyes flicked to Harry's expectant face. "Ready?"

Harry nodded, lips parted, breath held and waiting.

Draco took a deep breath and pressed forward. His eyes fell closed with a muted groan as his prick was slowly engulfed by Harry's hot, tight channel. He forced his eyes open to watch Harry's expression for any signs of discomfort or pain.

Harry's face was one of concentration and wonder as Draco continued to ease in as slowly as he could, his body trembling with the effort. Finally, after what felt like forever, he bottomed out, his groin pressed up against Harry's arse.

"Alright Harry?" he asked, freezing in place and allowing Harry's body time to accept him.

Harry's brow furrowed and then released on a shaky exhalation. "Yeah... yeah, I'm good. You can move."

Draco nearly sighed in relief as he pulled back and then slowly sank back in, Harry's body clutching onto him and stroking his cock with a perfect velvety grip that seemed intent on pulling his orgasm from him as quickly as possible.

Draco leaned forward on his hands, Harry's legs dropping to wrap around his waist as he began to pull back and thrust in with slow, deep pushes.

Harry threw his head back with a loud moan, seeming to thoroughly enjoy the new angle and depth of Draco's thrusts.

Draco's lips pressed together in a firm line as he watched Harry's expression with unblinking intensity. Never before had he wanted to please a lover with such determination before. He supposed it was the first time that real feelings were involved, even though Harry didn't know who he was.

"Want... want to touch you. Please," Harry suddenly begged breathlessly.

Draco nearly came at that. He swiftly stopped moving and held still a moment before slowly pulling out of Harry's eager body.

Harry opened green eyes and stared unseeing at the ceiling, tracking Draco's movements by sound as he quickly untied Harry's bound wrists and allowed his arms to fall down to his sides.

Draco moved back into place. "I'm breaking all the rules for you Harry," he murmured with a smirk.

Harry smiled breathlessly and silently raised his legs to wrap back around Draco's slim waist in answer, expression almost smug.

Draco's eyes gleamed wickedly and he abruptly pushed back into Harry in one hard thrust.

Harry cried out as his body bowed in pleasure, arms automatically reaching up to clutch onto Draco's shoulders.

" _Harry_..." Draco moaned under his breath as he began to thrust into him with abandon. He hoped Harry was as close as he was because he didn't think he could hold on much longer.

Harry gasped and moaned in intervals as Draco began to pound into his willing body, pushing him into the thick mattress again and again with almost bruising intensity.

"Touch yourself," Draco commanded breathlessly, watching.

Harry instantly took himself in hand and began to squeeze and stroke in time to Draco's thrusts. " _Oh fuck_... fuck, fuck, fuck..."

Draco's thrusts turned erratic as Harry suddenly choked on a groan and stiffened beneath him, his cock spurting string after string of semen over his chest and hand.

Draco thrust a few more times, staring unblinking at Harry's pulsing cock before freezing on one last firm push and emptying himself inside of Harry's body. His eyes fell closed of their own accord as he pulsed, filling Harry's channel with warm ejaculate.

Draco collapsed, panting breathlessly, onto his forearms.

Harry's arms slowly wound around his damp back and held on.

Draco startled when a pair of lips brushed against his temple. He opened his eyes and looked at Harry, still blinded but smiling in a sleepy, sated sort of way that made his heart ache horribly.

Draco shifted as though to pull out but Harry's arms stopped him.

"I know you're not supposed to," Harry whispered, smiling shyly, "but since you've broken all the other rules, do you think you could perhaps... kiss me?"

Draco swallowed. He wanted to, he really _really_ wanted to, but... as he came down from his orgasm high, the reality of the situation was now crashing over him. He had had sex with Harry Potter, the man he was now certain that he was irrevocably love with, but it had to end here. This wasn't a relationship; this was merely an experiment for Potter before he returned to the outside world and the adoring fans that didn't know he secretly lusted after men.

Yet… as long as he was still in this room, in their little bubble of fantasy, he supposed a kiss couldn't make it any worse at this point.

Draco leaned down and captured Harry's lips with his own in a tender kiss. Harry's mouth instantly opened to him and he lazily stroked his tongue against Harry's. It was slow and sweet, and Draco could almost trick himself into believing that Harry knew who he was kissing - and that he loved Draco in return.


	2. Part 2

**H H H H  
**

Harry lost himself in the kiss, in the warm slide of soft lips against his own. He sighed into Derek's mouth, never wanting the kiss to end.

Suddenly the wonderful lips pulled away and Harry's arms fell away from the warm, firm body above him. He winced as Derek carefully pulled out of him and a sudden rush of cool air met his body as Derek got off the bed.

Harry listened to the sound of Derek pulling his clothes back on and desperately wanted to say something, anything, to stop the man from leaving - but what for? To ask him out? Derek would laugh at him for being a silly little virgin who thought he had feelings for the first man to ever touch him. But he'd really felt something; a connection that he couldn't quite explain…

"Goodnight Mr. Potter," Derek spoke suddenly. "I hope you have a wonderful rest of your evening."

Hope blossomed in Harry's chest at the tightness in Derek's voice, almost like the other man didn't want to leave, didn't want the night to end either.

"Wait!" Harry called out, sitting up but not moving any further as he still couldn't see.

The sound of the door clicking shut was the only reply he received and Harry frowned, feeling panicked and ridiculous, but also desperate to speak to the man again. The way Derek had sounded when they'd been in bed together; the way he had admired Harry, made possessive comments, the reluctance to leave… It couldn't have all been an act - could it?

Harry felt a little flicker of doubt, but his heart still jumped into his throat when the door suddenly unlocked and opened a few minutes later.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry flushed and quickly grabbed the quilt to wrap around his middle. It was the hostess again, Scarlett. He realised a little belatedly that he probably should've been dressing instead of sitting there naked and brooding.

"I'm here to reverse the blindness charm," she said quietly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Oh. Okay." Harry felt disappointment wash over him and his flicker of doubt grew and expanded in his chest. It had just been an act and he'd been naïve enough to fall for it.

"Finite Incantatem."

Harry felt the cool wash of air over his eyelids and promptly opened his eyes. He blinked the lingering fog from his vision and suddenly everything was as it should be. Fittingly, it was almost like waking from a dream.

"Thanks," Harry said roughly as Scarlett passed him his glasses and the pretty hostess became clear once more.

She smiled. "I'll leave so that you may get dressed," she said kindly, turning away.

"Erm Scarlett?" Harry spoke before he even knew what he was going to say; just that he had to ask.

"Yes?"

Harry bit his bottom lip then took a deep breath. "My… er, companion, Derek?"

She turned around fully and tilted her head, dark ponytail swinging to one side. "Yes?"

"Is there any way I could maybe… speak to him?"

"Is there a problem Mr. Potter?" Scarlett replied, forehead creasing in concern.

Harry almost laughed. "No, not at all. He was great - perfect. I was just kind of hoping that maybe… I could see him?"

Scarlett smiled, looking genuinely interested. "I can ask him if you like."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

"Wait here Mr. Potter," she instructed before turning and walking out the door, closing it softly behind her.

Harry quickly threw back the quilt and began to dress, glancing around for a mirror to check his reflection in after. He wanted to be presentable when he officially met Derek. He didn't know what he was going to say to him but he knew he needed to see him, to meet him properly and see if there really was a spark between them that felt like it could be more than just good sex.

Harry paused. It _had_ been good sex, hadn't it?

 **D D D D**

Draco strode quickly through the warm hallway and straight to the main office. He couldn't believe he'd just left Potter there like that. Harry had definitely called out to him to wait and Draco had kept going; literally shutting the door in his face.

He knew their time together would be something forever indelibly embedded into his brain, no matter what age he reached. It was more than just sleeping with someone he'd fancied in school, and more than just bedding the famous Harry Potter, it had been... amazing. He'd never had sex with someone he actually cared for before; it was as though Harry's pleasure was more important than his own. The way Harry had writhed and arched beneath him, the needy sounds of arousal and whimpers of need he had made only served to heighten Draco's own experience. He _wanted_ to make Harry happy. He knew he could've gone the whole night without coming and still walked away fully satisfied as long as Harry was happy.

Draco frowned and waved a hand at the office door. It opened before him and he walked through, shutting it firmly behind him before leaning back against it, the rapid speed of his breaths matching the beating of his heart.

"I told you."

Draco opened his eyes to see Pansy seated at the desk, one black brow raised in a pointed look.

"Drink?" she suggested, lifting a tumbler of Scotch that she had obviously prepared in advance.

Draco sighed, heart-sore. "Fuck, yes."

He strode forward and took the glass from her hand before throwing it back in one.

"How was it?" she asked, sounding concerned instead of smug.

He swallowed and closed his eyes. "Torture."

"That bad?"

He opened his eyes and held out his glass to be refilled. "No, it was fucking fantastic. It's torture knowing that I won't get to experience that ever again - and somebody else will."

Pansy poured him another generous splash. "It could be you if you offered Draco."

Draco shook his head and allowed the burn of the Scotch to trail down his throat a little slower this time. "Even if he _was_ interested, he wouldn't step out on the town with an ex Death Eater Pans. Just leave it and let me wallow in my misery."

Pansy snorted and filled a glass for herself. "So… was it his first time?"

"Yes." Draco paused, glass halfway to his mouth, eyes slightly glazed at the memory. "Salazar, he was so beautifully responsive…" he trailed off and took another sip from his glass. "Like no one had ever touched him before."

Pansy's eyes widened a little. "Oh wow. I would have loved to watch," she added, pouting. "How dare you turn off the camera on me."

Draco rolled his eyes but a knock on the door interrupted them before he could think of a suitable retort.

Pansy stood to answer it but Draco waved her back down and opened the door himself, Scotch still in one hand.

"Yes Scarlett?" Draco said when he opened the door and spied their hostess standing in the hallway with a shy smile.

"Sorry to disturb you Mr. Malfoy, but… Harry Potter would like to speak with you. With Derek rather."

Draco felt frozen with panic for a moment then cleared his throat. "Did he say why?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "No, but I think he _really_ liked you. You knew each other at school, right?"

"Uh yes," Draco replied distractedly. There was no way he could meet with Potter, the man would be utterly horrified that his first time with a man had been with Draco. He would be so cross, and probably dive right back into that hole of heterosexual pretence from which he came from. "Please pass on my apologies, but tell him that I am unable to meet with him. Make up something about it being against house policy."

Scarlett's expression fell a little but she nodded dutifully and turned away.

Draco shut the door and promptly swallowed the remainder of his drink. He was going to need a lot more before the night was through.

"What did you do that for?" Pansy demanded.

"Because," he replied acerbically, "he probably wanted to make sure that this Derek fellow was going to keep his big bad gay secret."

" _Or_ ," Pansy said, frustrated, "he was going to throw himself at your sexually proficient feet and confess his undying love for you!"

"Unlikely," Draco dismissed with a wave of his hand as he set his empty glass back down on the desk. "If it _was_ something like that, it would just be because it was his first time and he thinks he feels something that he doesn't. In a few days he'll realise the truth and be glad that he didn't try to pursue something more with a total stranger. Now, I believe I am going to go home and get properly pissed before falling into bed. Alone."

"Fine, be miserable," Pansy replied in exasperation, dropping back into her chair.

"I will thanks," Draco shot back before walking to the coat rack to retrieve his black woollen coat. "Have a nice Christmas Eve tomorrow Pans, see you on New Year's."

Pansy smirked, spirits lifting. "Biggest night of the year for us," she said with glee. "All that lovely money from all those drunken, lonely fools."

Draco smiled faintly before heading out the door, remembering to take the back entrance so as to avoid any possible run-ins with Potter. 

**H H H H**

Harry slowed his steps as he reached Amortentia's waiting room; he really didn't feel like facing his friends after everything that had happened. He'd been disappointed but not really surprised when Scarlett had told him that Derek wouldn't see him, spouting house rules or some other such nonsense.

No matter what Derek had said to Scarlett, Harry couldn't get the sound of Derek saying his name so reverently out of his mind. It was almost as though Derek had said it with real affection - with _love_ even.

Harry shook his head. He knew that wasn't possible, or if it was, then it was just celebrity infatuation like every other person out there that thought they loved Harry but knew absolutely nothing about him.

Harry set his jaw and walked back into the waiting room, trying not to let his gloomy emotions show. It was still Seamus' birthday after all and he didn't want to ruin the night. He should just be grateful that he'd had an evening with a man and answered the question of whether he was gay or not.

Gay. Definitely gay.

"Harry!"

Harry forced a smile as Ron grinned at him and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"How was your night mate?" he asked, eyes gleaming.

Harry couldn't help but laugh and his heart lifted a little at his friend's jovial expression. "It was brilliant," he replied honestly.

Ron pulled him along and they joined the rest of the group as they laughed and chatted and teased each other out the doors and into the cold night air.

"You were in there the longest Harry," George exclaimed from in front, flashing him a wink over his shoulder.

"Yeah, you're a champion mate," Seamus agreed, grinning. "I couldn't hold it together once she started playing with my bollocks."

The others all laughed and Harry felt a little twinge of unhappiness in his chest; he hated that he was different. He knew he wasn't the only gay wizard by any stretch of the imagination, but it felt like it, no one he knew or was close with was gay. He wondered what his friends would say if they knew he'd been with a man tonight.

"You alright Harry?" Ron whispered aside as they continued walking up the frozen cobbles, heading to Seamus' favourite pub for their last stop of the night.

Harry frowned and stopped walking. He suddenly didn't think that he could keep up a happy façade for the rest of the evening; there were too many conflicting thoughts and feelings swirling around his head. "Er… not feeling so good," he replied quietly. "Think I… think I might head home actually."

"Oi!" Ron shouted to the others. They all stopped and turned. "I'm going to take Harry home, he's not feeling well. I'll catch up, yeah?"

"You don't have to do that," Harry protested as the others waved and walked off, loudly singing a Celestina Christmas song with utter abandon. "I can make it on my own."

"It's fine," Ron replied easily, taking his arm. "Don't want you splinching yourself."

Harry smiled gratefully and Ron Apparated the both of them back to their small shared flat. He followed Harry to the lounge where Harry collapsed onto the nearest sofa with a sigh.

"Thanks Ron," he said appreciatively.

Ron hovered in the middle of the room for a moment before sitting next to him. "You sure you're alright?" he asked. "You seem kinda depressed. Did something happen at Amortentia?"

Harry let his head fall back against the sofa, suddenly too drained to lie. Ron was his best friend and he might as well know the truth, he was going to find out sooner or later anyway. "Yeah, it did."

Ron frowned in concern. "What happened?"

Harry swallowed and closed his eyes, finding it easier to look at the backs of his eyelids than at his friend's openly concerned expression. "I… requested a… a male companion."

There was a slight pause. "And…?"

Harry opened his eyes and looked over. "And? And what?"

"And did you enjoy it?" Ron asked, completely unperturbed.

Harry blinked and it took him a moment to find his voice. "Yeah, I did. A lot." He could feel his cheeks heating but Ron still appeared unfazed.

Ron suddenly grinned lopsidedly. "Well good, I'm glad you figured it out."

Harry gaped. "What do you mean? You _knew_?"

Ron shrugged, still smiling. "I wondered. I caught you staring at Oliver Wood's arse once and ever since then have noticed a few… clues. My brother Charlie's best mate is gay and I caught him staring at a bloke's arse once too."

Harry laughed, feeling slightly light-headed with relief.

"What, did you think I was going to be disgusted by you Harry?" Ron said then, looking mildly affronted.

"No, not really," he replied honestly. "I thought you might be a bit cross that I led your sister on for so long though."

Ron waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, I know you didn't do it on purpose mate. You're not like that. Plus, I could see that you were still working things out."

Harry hit him with one of the throw pillows. "You git, why didn't you tell me?"

Ron laughed. "Hey, it's not up to me to figure out your sexual orientation mate."

Harry laughed and flopped back against the sofa, holding the pillow to his stomach. He sighed, feeling better but still needing to ask Ron's opinion on the whole Derek issue.

"Uh… so the thing at Amortentia was more than just the fact that I was with a male companion," he continued hesitantly. "The bloke I was with, he… he seemed to actually care for me and I… I really want to meet him. Properly. Like maybe on a date."

Ron's expression was both sceptical and sympathetic at the same time, and Harry knew what he was going to say before he said it. "But Harry, he's _paid_ to pretend that he's in love with you. And that was your first time with a bloke, right?"

"Yeah it was, but it was more than that," Harry insisted, not really knowing how to explain it. "I… I felt a connection. He seemed familiar, like we'd met before, and the way he said my name and… and the things he said - and the _way_ he said them -it was real Ron. I know I sound pathetic and completely mad, but it wasn't fake. I know it."

"Okay…" Ron replied slowly, considering. "So, you're going to go back and request him again? See if he'll go out with you?"

"I could but… I really don't want to do that, I don't want to be a paying customer, I want to meet him in a _normal_ setting." Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, still damp with melted snowflakes. "I asked the hostess if I could meet him face to face to chat but he declined, said it was against house rules or something."

"Maybe we can figure out who he was and track him down outside of Amortentia. What was his name?"

"Derek, but I get the feeling they don't use their real names there."

Ron frowned. "Yeah, you're probably right. What did he look like?"

Harry blushed. "I don't know, I couldn't see anything."

Ron gaped. "You don't know what he looks like? He could look like a troll!"

Harry burst out laughing. "I don't think they hire trolls there Ron, most people get to see what the companions look like. Besides, he didn't _feel_ like a troll."

Ron grimaced. "Please, no details, I'm not _that_ supportive mate."

Harry laughed and smacked him with the pillow again, causing Ron to grin and snatch the pillow out of his hands.

"You know what we need?" Ron said, eyes suddenly gleaming.

"What?"

"Hermione."

A smile slowly bloomed across Harry's face. "Yeah, Hermione in investigative mode. But… don't you want to get back to the party?"

"Nah," Ron brushed off easily. "We need to find your secret admirer."

"I might be the only one who is the "admirer" here, Derek's probably not even interested - but I don't care." Harry stood, suddenly buzzing with adrenaline. "Alright, you call Hermione and I'll put the coffee on."

"Right." Ron jumped to his feet and went to the Floo while Harry headed for the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Hermione was sitting perched on the sofa with a cup of coffee cupped in her hands, feet neatly tucked underneath her, and a gobsmacked expression on her face.

"Let me get this straight-"

"I think you mean bent," Ron sniggered, causing Harry to roll his eyes.

"Ron! This is serious," Hermione chastised before turning back to Harry.

"It's not, it's really not," Harry interjected hurriedly. "It's just trying to find a bloke that I'm interested in to see if he'll maybe go out on a date with me. That's all."

Hermione bit her lip. "But Harry, say we find this Derek chap and he agrees to go out with you, could you really date someone who has a job like that?"

Harry stared. He hadn't even _thought_ of that aspect. "Shit…" he breathed, more to himself than to the others. "I… I didn't even think of that. I… don't know. I don't think I could." He stopped and looked up at Hermione. "Maybe he would be willing to change careers for me?" he suggested weakly.

Hermione couldn't help but smile affectionately at her friend. "Maybe."

"Worry about that after we're able to track him down," Ron said firmly. "If he's as interested in you as you make out Harry, then perhaps he _will_ quit his job."

"It's worth a try," Hermione agreed with a nod.

Harry exhaled noisily, blowing his fringe in every direction. "Okay, so we know where he works but that doesn't actually help us. We need to find out his real name and where he lives."

"Or even just the general vicinity of where he lives if they'll tell you that much," Ron said. "Then you can just accidentally bump into him on purpose."

"Except that you don't know what he looks like," Hermione reminded them. She set her coffee down and folded her hands, looking every inch the serious investigator that they knew and loved. "What you should do Harry, is speak to the owner or manager of Amortentia. They will be the only ones who can help you. Perhaps go there and ask to speak to the person in charge and make it out like you have a complaint or something so that they don't just brush you off."

"Hopefully this is one of those instances where you can throw your name around and get extra special treatment," Ron added with a grin.

Harry swallowed, feeling nervous at the thought, but resolute. "Alright. I'll go there first thing tomorrow and speak to them."

"You know, they're open for another couple of hours…" Ron said, a daring gleam to his brown eyes.

Harry stared at him a moment, heart racing at the thought of getting an answer tonight. He smiled. "Yeah… they are, aren't they?"

Ron grinned and Hermione shook her head, smiling fondly.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she finally said. "Go get him."

Harry laughed and stood. "I'm not likely to find him tonight 'Mione, but if I can speak to the owner now then maybe I can find Derek tomorrow."

Hermione stood and picked up her empty cup to take back to the kitchen. "It's all so romantic," she sighed.

Ron stood as well and stretched his arms over his head. "Yeah yeah, Harry falling in love with a prostitute is incredibly romantic."

Harry laughed even though he thought he should probably be insulted, but he was too excited. "Alright, I'm off."

"Think I'll catch up with the others," Ron said.

"And I'm going to bed," Hermione replied before kissing Harry on the cheek. "Good luck Harry, let me know what happens. Still coming to the Burrow Christmas Day?"

Harry nodded as he slipped into his coat. "Yeah, see you there."

Harry wrapped a dark green scarf around his neck before Disapparating on the spot back to Knockturn Alley, Ron and Hermione's smiling faces blurring into swirls of colour before disappearing completely into a flash of white.

The laneway was less busy than it had been earlier but there were still quite a few people milling about; doing last minute Christmas shopping and cheerfully celebrating the holiday season. The smell of roasted chestnuts and hot apple cider still lingered in the air from the street vendors.

Harry strode quickly to the black brick building, only one goal in mind as he stopped at the entrance door. He wasn't on the guest list anymore so the door wouldn't open automatically this time. Instead he pressed the gold buzzer and waited.

"Amortentia, how may I help you?" Scarlett's voice crackled through the speaker.

Harry smiled in relief. "Uh hi Scarlett, it's Harry Potter," he replied, leaning in to speak directly into the microphone.

"Hello Mr. Potter, I'll let you in."

Harry took a step back as the door swung open and he quickly walked inside, hoping there wouldn't be anyone in the waiting room to overhear what was going to be a private conversation with the hostess.

Luck was with him; the room was completely empty when he walked in. The warmth of the building seeped into his chilled body as he smiled in greeting at Scarlett behind the glass desk.

"Welcome back Mr. Potter," she said, looking as though she were hiding a grin. "What can I do for you?"

Harry placed his gloved hands on top of the desk, feeling a little awkward; he wasn't normally one to demand things. "Erm, I was wondering if perhaps I could… speak to the person in charge? An owner or manager?"

She raised a brow. "The owner is unavailable but I have the manager here. What can I tell her it's regarding?"

Harry was surprised by the "her" title, for some reason he assumed the manager would be a man; he didn't think it was the type of establishment a woman would want to manage. "It's regarding… er, a complaint," he decided.

Scarlett's smile faded. "Really? I thought you enjoyed your time here."

Harry immediately felt bad. "Okay, it's not a complaint," he amended. "I just really need to speak to them about… er… uh… _oh fuck it_ , I need to find this Derek chap and I can't do it on my own."

Scarlett's expression instantly turned delighted. "Oh, of course Mr. Potter, why didn't you say so? I'll ask if she has time to see you now."

Harry exhaled, feeling shaky as he leaned on the desk to wait. He didn't know how much more his nerves could take tonight; it had been quite the night.

It wasn't long before Scarlett returned and led him to an adjoining room that looked like a small casual office. He sat down in the black leather armchair, removing his gloves and fiddling with them in his lap as he waited anxiously. It felt like forever before the door finally opened behind him.

"Potter, how nice to see you again."

Harry's head snapped around as Pansy Parkinson closed the door behind her and smirked at him. His eyes widened as she walked around to the small desk and sat down behind it.

"P-Parkinson?" he finally stammered, stunned.

She smiled and crossed her legs as she leaned on the arm of her chair, surveying him with obvious amusement. "The one and only. What can I do for the Chosen One this evening?"

Harry inwardly groaned; he couldn't ask Pansy Parkinson for the details of a bloke he fancied, it would be all over The Prophet by morning.

"I already know you shagged a wizard tonight Potter, so don't get your knickers in a twist."

Harry recovered from his initial shock and glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest and wondering if he could hex her before she called security.

Pansy laughed and leaned back in her chair. "I won't tell anyone Potter; confidentiality agreement, remember?"

Harry sagged with relief. Of course.

"Scarlett tells me you have a marked interest in one of my staff members," she prompted, fingers absently twisting the ends of her smooth, dark hair, bright eyes locked on Harry.

Harry swallowed and was determined to get what he came for, despite this slight hiccup. "Erm, yes. Derek?"

Pansy smiled. "Yes, he's one of our finest. Did you enjoy him?"

Harry narrowed his eyes at her but couldn't stop his cheeks from heating with discomfiture. "Yes I did, and I would like to see him again."

"That can be arranged with our receptionist Potter, you don't need to speak with me," she replied evenly.

Harry shook his head. "No, I… I would like to see him _outside_ of Amortentia."

Her red lips quirked into a smirk as she leaned back in her chair. "You don't say?" she commented with interest. "And why is that?"

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, unable to hold her gaze as he replied. "It felt like we had a connection and I want to see if he feels the same way and if you make fun of me I'll fucking hex you," he said all in one breath.

Pansy's tinkling laugh echoed off the walls.

"He told Scarlett that he couldn't speak to me because of house policy or something," Harry continued, raising earnest green eyes back up to meet her gaze. While Pansy was obviously amused by the whole situation, he also sensed that she was willing to be helpful. "I thought if I could contact him outside of Amortentia, then he would be a little more agreeable to speaking with me."

Pansy surveyed him critically before replying. "Is this because he was the first male you've ever been with Potter?"

"No." Harry frowned, thinking. "I mean, he was, but it's really not like that. It's not just that he's good at… at what he does, it was that he felt familiar and he sounded so… so sincere. I didn't want him to leave, and I don't think he wanted to either. I know it sounds ridiculous, and you probably get barmy people in here every day confessing their love for your employees, but… I'm not delusional, I know what I want from him is real. I just don't know if he would even be interested."

Pansy pursed her lips and seemed to be considering something. She finally clasped her hands together on the desk and leaned forwards onto her forearms. "Listen Potter, Derek is… special. He's a good friend of mine and I don't want to see him hurt."

"Hurt?" Harry repeated, confused.

She sighed and looked at him almost imploringly. "He's the _owner_ of Amortentia, and he has never been with a client - until you."

Harry's lips parted in surprise as he stared back, uncomprehending. "What do you mean? Why would he do that for me?"

"Because although he won't admit it, he's been in love with you for a very long time."

Harry frowned and sat back, feeling a trickle of trepidation run up his spine. "In _love_ with me? But he doesn't know me…" Harry trailed off and then it hit him. "He does know me, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I believe you've met before," she replied vaguely. "Once or twice."

Harry waited but she obviously wasn't about to elaborate on his identity. "So… you'll help me then?" Harry asked, sitting forwards in his chair. "I just want to meet him and… see where it goes from there."

Pansy nodded, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she thought. "Okay Potter," she finally relented. "I'll give you his address and then it's up to you. And if he asks, I had nothing to do with this. I'm only doing this because I want to see him happy - and to get him to stop mooning over you every time he gets a little drink into him."

Harry smiled uncertainly, wondering just who this person was. "Is Derek his real name?" he asked as Pansy scrawled the location on a piece of pink parchment.

Pansy handed the parchment over with a faint smirk.

Harry took the address from her and stood up before glancing down at what she'd written. He froze and then raised incredulous eyes to hers.

"Surprise." 

**D D D D**

Draco strolled through the Manor's extensive grounds, hands shoved into the warm, deep pockets of his black woollen Muggle coat. He had discovered - and subsequently adored - Muggle fashion once he'd begun to take an interest in anything beyond his parent's narrow views of the world. His father was still in Azkaban, and would be until he was dead, and his mother was much more tolerant than his father, and endured Draco's Muggle fashion choices with remarkable grace.

He sighed and looked up at the tops of the snow frosted trees that towered over him on the garden path. It was Christmas Eve morning and he'd tossed and turned for most of the night before finally forcing himself out of bed and outdoors for a walk to clear his head. Sometime around three in the morning, he had suddenly and horribly regretted his decision to leave Harry so swiftly without even waiting to see what the Gryffindor had been about to say, or to return to the room when Scarlett had said that Harry had wanted to speak to him. What if Pansy had been right and Potter _had_ been interested in something more?

Draco shook his head. Harry hadn't known who it was that he was asking to proposition.

He paused and glanced towards the main entrance gates at the far end of the property. He could feel a disturbance in the wards; someone was at the gates that shouldn't be. He waited a moment to see if they would ring the bell but nothing happened.

He withdrew his wand and Apparated to just inside the wrought-iron gates, far enough away that he was not within easy reaching distance of an intruder. There were still a few people out there who didn't appreciate the fact that Draco and his mother had been allowed to go free at the end of the war.

His grey eyes widened and he almost dropped his wand in shock when he saw who it was.

"Potter?"

Harry was standing on the other side of the closed gates, wearing black jeans and clean trainers underneath a warm grey Muggle coat, his dark hair tossing about in the wind and a sheepish smile on his flushed face. "Oh, hi Malfoy, er… I didn't realise you'd know I was here if I didn't ring the bell."

Draco felt his defences soften as he stared at Harry's embarrassed expression. "Would you like for me to leave while you decide?" he drawled, quickly regaining his composure.

Harry laughed awkwardly and shook his head. "No, that's alright. You're here now."

Draco flicked his wand and the gates swung inwards. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he approached Harry, the crushed gravel crunching beneath his feet. He tucked his hands back into his coat pockets after re-sheathing his wand and schooled his features into a neutral expression, determined not to give anything away, even if Potter _was_ here to accuse him of… whatever it was he was here to accuse him of. He suspected it had _something_ to do with last night.

Harry visibly swallowed and Draco shivered as those green eyes flicked over his body before coming to rest on his face. "I… erm, was hoping to speak to Derek."

Draco frowned, thrown. "Who?"

Harry smiled, cheeks still flushed, rather attractively Draco thought. "He's the bloke I was with at Amortentia last night. Pansy Parkinson said that you owned the place and could introduce me to him."

Draco truly didn't know what to say to that. He silently cursed Pansy in his head for putting him in this position. He cleared his throat before replying. "Oh yes, Derek. And why are you interested in being introduced to him?"

Harry smiled and took a step closer. "He is rather good at what he does, and I would very much like to experience that again."

Draco's breath caught in his throat. "Why don't you… make another appointment then?"

Harry continued to move closer and Draco had to physically stop himself from taking a step back.

"Because I want more than that," Harry replied, not looking quite as nervous anymore.

"More?" Draco repeated, pleased that his voice didn't tremble.

Harry cocked his head to one side, eyes appraising. "Like… maybe go on a date? Perhaps play a game of quidditch and then have dinner, maybe go back to his place for the night…"

Fuck, he wanted that too. Draco nodded, attempting nonchalance. "I think I can arrange that," he replied quietly.

"Today?"

"Possibly." Draco could feel his pulse race and his chest constrict as Harry continued to look at him in _that way_ , and suddenly he knew that Harry knew, and he was terrified and exhilarated all at once - because fuck, Harry was still there, waiting to see what Draco would do next. He carefully closed the remaining distance between them, still not quite touching. "He's a very busy man."

Harry grinned, and it wasn't awkward or nervous, it was bright and relieved and thrilled, and so utterly Harry. The kind of smile that Draco had always wanted directed at him. "I'm sure he'll make time for me," Harry replied softly.

Something low down in Draco's stomach tightened at the tone of Harry's voice. "Yes, I believe he will."

"Draco…"

Draco almost moaned at the sound of Harry saying his name. It was too much and something inside him snapped. He reached out with one hand and slid his fingers across the cold skin of Harry's cheek until his hand was cupping the back of his head, buried in all that soft thick hair. He stepped in so that they were chest to chest, warm breath ghosting across the other's face. Harry's eyes fluttered shut for a moment and then opened, staring up at Draco expectantly.

"Is this really what you want?" Draco whispered; needing to know that this wasn't a joke or an experimental fling for Harry.

Harry nodded as he slowly slid his arms around Draco's waist. "Yeah, it is," he murmured before leaning in and firmly pressing his lips to Draco's.

Draco couldn't stop the breathy moan from escaping as he closed his eyes and kissed Harry back. It was even better than last night's kiss; it _meant_ more. Harry knew who he was this time and was pouring everything he had into kissing him. Draco thought his heart might just explode right out of his chest with happiness and want and contentment…

Harry pulled back a few inches and grinned, panting slightly. "Hi."

Draco chuckled and kept his arms around Harry. He didn't think he'd ever be able to let go now that he had him there. He suddenly frowned quizzically at him. "How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"Erm, would you believe a helpful Christmas Elf?" Harry hedged, still smiling.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Parkinson," he growled, causing Harry to laugh.

"Hey, it's thanks to her that I'm here," Harry pointed out.

"Hmph…" Draco huffed, but a smirk pulled at his lips as he leaned in to rub his nose in Harry's hair, just behind his ear, inhaling the scent of his coconut shampoo. He kissed the side of his neck and heard Harry's breath hitch. "Would you like to come in?" he murmured into Harry's ear. "I believe the house-elves have prepared a lovely breakfast in the kitchens."

"Oh," Harry replied, eyes widening. "It's Christmas Eve today, isn't it? Sorry, did you have plans?"

"Yes," Draco smirked. "I plan to introduce you to my mother - _properly_ \- and then the three of us will have breakfast together. After that I plan to take you back to my room and spend the rest of the day in bed, with perhaps a bath or two in between all the shagging."

Harry laughed but his green eyes flared with interest. "Sounds good to me."

Draco pulled away and took Harry's hand to lead him towards the Manor. He couldn't quite believe that Harry was there, holding his hand and smiling at him; it felt too good to be true. He had wanted this for so long that he couldn't quite wrap his brain around the fact that it was actually happening. Harry wanted him. Harry wanted _him_.

"Happy Christmas Malfoy," Harry said with a grin, squeezing his hand as they walked, bringing him back to the present.

Draco glanced over and smiled back as he squeezed his hand in return. It was shaping up to be a _very_ memorable year ahead…


End file.
